Thursday, March 21, 2013

Happy Nowruz

The festival predates Islam, and is celebrated in many of the local countries including Afghanistan, and in places where the Iranian diaspora lives, such as Los Angeles.

TehranLive has photos of the clown/dancers who usher in the festival:

Hājji Firuz or Hajji Piruz, (Persian: حاجی فیروز) is the traditional
herald of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. He oversees celebrations for the
new year perhaps as a remnant of the ancient Zoroastrian fire-keeper.
His face is covered in soot and he is clad in bright red clothes and a
felt hat. While ushering in Nowruz, Hajji Firuz plays a tambourine and
sings “Hāji Firuz-e, sal-i-ye ruz-e” (It is Hāji Firuz time, It happens
one day in a year). People of all ages gather around him and his troupe
of musicians and listen to them play the drum, saz or kamancheh, and
dance through the streets with tambourines and trumpets spreading good
cheer and the news of the coming New Year.
Read more about Haji Firuz Here.

One of the few festivals we don't celebrate here, but yes, there are actually a lot of Persian students studying here because of our excellent English Language schools.